So it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything and I apologize because these past few weeks I’ve been travelling, and let me tell you guys, the best thing about Europe is the street musicians. In most towns and cities I have visited in Europe in my life, there is always a place designated for entertainers. Now entertainers can range from acrobats to magicians to people pretending to be statues, but my favourites will forever be street musicians. From guitarists on the road-side, to saxophone players in the subways, music seems to find a route straight to my heart. I will be putting up a few street musicians who really made an impression on me during my trip, so do check back and have a look at that. ; )

Alright, so I have a new obsession. Guessing by the title you probably already know who I’m talking about, and if you don’t well then I hope this post does a good job of introducing you to someone who I think will definitely make a mark in the music industry in the years to come.

Elizabeth Grant or Lana Del Rey is one of the best singers of our generation. There, I said it. In this age of electronically processed meat-I mean music, Del Rey has burst into the scene with a brand new perception on youth and music. While everyone else is shaking their rather prominent derrieres to annoying and repetitive beats and blending together into one hazy blur, Del Rey is breaking boundaries and swaying into the picture with class and grace that has gone missing from the industry.

From the second I first came across Del Rey’s music video for her single ‘Born To Die’, I was completely sold. I knew that this girl would be huge someday and sure enough her videos have all gone viral and ‘Born To Die’ has hit number one in multiple countries along with ‘Video Games’. Her second studio album Born To Die climbed to the top of the charts making her one of the breakthrough artists of 2012.

I think the best metaphor for her voice would be a glass of single malt whiskey. Smokey, deep, honey-toned, timeless, yet sharp and with a taste that lingers long after it’s gone… all round a rather pleasant experience for me personally, reminding me of Nancy Sinatra and in places, Sade Adu. She sings in a deep and heavy contralto, occasionally flitting up and down the scale, showing off her vocal skills successfully in most of her tracks.

While it is extremely hard to just pick one, ‘Born to Die’ is definitely my favourite track from this record. I am a person who enjoys tragedy and drama as themes-just ask my literature teachers how much I loved Hamlet- so ‘Born to Die’ held a special kind of appeal for me. The video is one of the most beautiful and artistically done music videos I have seen in a long time, and Del Rey is known for her visually stunning videos infused with 50s and 60s Americana pop culture.

The thing I have most noticed about Lana Del Rey is that people either hate her or love her. Her genre is a mix of alternative and indie pop and these are genres that were not widely popular until just a few years ago. Even now people are hesitant to deviate and explore these various branches of music which is a pity. Some critics have called Born To Die ‘repetitive and depressing’, but I believe that was pretty much the general theme going on there which involves lost love and the pain related, so I’m surprised they thought it would be a bright summery walk in the park.

All said and done, I absolutely ADORE Lana Del Rey, and feel she has brought something most people tend to overlook, back into music: Talent and vision. Some of the key tracks in Born To Die which are definitely worth checking out are:

1. Blue Jeans: I’m attaching the video because again, it is just too beautiful and extremely well-shot.

2. Summertime Sadness

3. Born to Die

4. Video Games

I myself have a playlist on my iTunes dedicated just to Lana and can’t stop listening to it. If you like the music and it’s your thing, you can buy the album on iTunes.